Abrina
by moms2398
Summary: Set some time after "Irresponsible" First, late S3, then sometime in S4; She's well armed and looking for John Sheppard; revenge or something else? After ch.1 turns HET: JC/OC. Feedback welcome and requested. Rebetaed and reposted.
1. Chapter 1

"Welcome!" The rotund, ruddy-cheeked inn-keeper rushed to the door to greet the newcomers. "Travelers, welcome! Come, come. Have you travelled far? Of course you have, I can tell by your dress."

Rodney McKay looked at John Sheppard, who shrugged and followed the large man further into the dark, dank, and yet lively saloon.

"Please!" The man gushed. "I am Garleen. This is my place. Come; enjoy my food, my drinks, and my women."

Ronon grinned until John shook his head, slightly, then he swallowed it.

"We'll take the food and drink," John said. "But we'll wait a while for the women, if it's okay."

"Of course, of course!" The man stopped at a round table. "Please! Sit! I will get your food and drink."

As they sat, John frowned. "This is a bit different."

Rodney looked around. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Teyla's eyebrow rose. "'A gift horse'?"

He grimaced. "It's an idiom that means to be grateful and not question when something good happens."

Her eyebrow rose. "And since when do you embrace this philosophy?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Hello? When there's food involved."

The four travelers from Atlantis sat and began to enjoy their food and drink, keeping an eye out on the locals and speaking, from time to time, to the inn-keeper about who was in charge of the town and trade.

After a time, a woman walked over to their table. She wasn't the first to do so, but she was different than the others. Instead of being dressed in skimpy dresses designed to gain monetary favors from intoxicated patrons, she was dressed in a figure-friendly, deep V-necked, long-sleeved blue and black shirt, tight-fitting black pants and heeled, black boots. Her hair was long and dark, falling in waves over her shoulders and down her back. In the dim light of the tavern, it was hard to tell what color her eyes were exactly, but they were definitely light in color. She took up a position near the table, standing between where John and Ronon sat, and directly across from Rodney.

"Excuse me," she smiled, softly, with a hint of timidity. "I'm so sorry to interrupt your meal, but I had to ask you a question."

John put his drink down and swallowed looking up at her. "Sure," he smiled.

She looked over her shoulder at a couple of men who sat, smiling, next to the window. "One of them said you were Lantean. Is it true?"

Ronon looked over at the men, who were trying to hide their faces in their ale as if to hide their laughter. He leaned forward to look at John with a smirk in his eyes.

John, in his typical fashion, was cryptic with his answer. "Let's just say that we're from out of town."

She smiled at him and ducked her head. "I'm sorry to be so forward, really. It's just that your equipment looks like none I've ever seen and I thought…well, I was wondering if you knew someone I've heard of and wondered if you knew the truth about him." She shrugged. Then she looked down at Ronon. "Well, it looks like I'm a fool. You are clearly Satedan."

Ronon's eyebrows rose and he smiled up at her. "How would you know that?"

She put a finger to her neck, mirroring where his tattoo was printed. "Your rank."

He nodded. "Well, you're right."

She nodded. "I'm sorry. Serves me right for listening to those drunkards." She stiffened and took a deep breath, like one about to face doom.

"Hold on, there, Miss?" John held up a hand.

"Abrina," she pronounced.

"Abrina," he smiled a small smile up at her. "Who is this person you're looking for? Maybe we've heard something about him."

She smiled and knelt slightly so that she pretty much sat on her heels. This gave both Ronon and John a nice view of her assets as she spoke.

Teyla rolled her eyes and took another sip of her ale.

"Well, he is supposed to be tall and good-looking, with a quick tongue and wry wit. I'm told that he is a fantastic fighter and an exceptional strategist." She smiled, almost dreamily. "I've also been told that he…" she blushed. "Well, let's just say he's rumored to have a way with women."

John traded looks with Ronon, whose smile widened.

"Oh, brother," Rodney muttered. "And does this lothario have a name?"

She stood and focused on him. "Well, you probably don't know him, because he's supposed to be Lantean."

John smiled up at her. "Well, we do travel a lot, maybe we've heard of him."

Ronon smiled. "Sounds like an interesting guy."

"Give me a break," Rodney rolled his eyes.

"His name is supposed to be John Sheppard."

Teyla choked on her drink. Ronon's grin turned into a laugh. John's smile dissolved, and Rodney crossed his arms.

"Of course, it is."

"Rodney," John warned.

She looked down at him, then over at Rodney with renewed interest. "Rodney is a very unusual name."

Rodney paled. "It is?"

She tilted her head. "You wouldn't happen to be Doctor Rodney McKay, the Lantean scientist who is said to have aided the Genii with the creation of their super weapon? He's said to be an essential part of John Sheppard's team. But you're not him," she leaned forward, across the table. "Are you?"

Faced with the deep cleavage in front of him as well as light eyes glowing at him under ebony waves of hair, Rodney forgot who he was.

John looked over Abrina's rounded rear-end as she was bent over the table between him and Ronon.

"Ah, Miss Abrina," John said, finally. "Could I have a word with you?"

He stood and she straightened to face him. "I was so hoping you would, Colonel Sheppard," she said, coolly.

Suddenly, the sounds of weapons being charged and cocked filled the tavern. Two were aimed at Ronon's head and others were aimed at Rodney and Teyla as well as John.

Abrina smiled up at him. She sidled up so close that their bodies almost touched. Then, with hooded eyes she reached out and moved her hand across his hip to relieve him of his 9 mm.

"Mistress," a man said, curtly from behind. "He has a knife as well."

She smiled up at him. "I really don't think the great John Sheppard would stoop so low as to stab an unarmed woman."

"Well, technically," John said, his eyes narrowed over a humorless smile. "You're not unarmed. You have my gun in your hand."

She raised her eyebrows and smiled in such a way that John's mind immediately followed hers to the gutter. Before he really had a chance to squirm, however, she placed the weapon on the table behind her, where another man picked it so that it would stay out of reach of Ronon or Teyla.

"All I want to do, Colonel, is talk."

"Oh, yeah, right! Then why do you need all the guns?" Rodney's voice pitched slightly higher.

She shrugged. "Call it security, Dr. McKay." Her eyes did not waver from John's. "Before you agree to talk to me, however, I must be honest with you." She set her mouth into a wry smile. "My name _is_ Abrina." Her left eyebrow rose. "Abrina Kolya."

John's eyebrows rose. He swallowed, then smiled, half-heartedly. "Sister?"

"Daughter."

He swallowed again and looked at Rodney, who went from being perturbed to terrified. He looked back down at her and grimaced. "Sorry."

Her eyes were green. He could see that clearly as she stepped closer to him. So close that he could smell her and feel heat from her. Her eyes narrowed.

"Do not start our conversation with more lies or evasions, Colonel."

His eyebrows rose then knitted together. He looked around. "So, you just want to talk, right?"

She nodded. "Just talk."

"So why don't your guys put their weapons down and we'll all sit and talk."

Her smile widened. "A member of your team is a Satedan Wraith Runner. And Teyla Emmagan is well known among the Genii. I think my men will remain armed, but you and I can take a walk, if it will make you feel more comfortable."

She motioned toward the door and he looked at her, then to his team and the men holding weapons on them. Finally, he nodded and stepped away from the table.

Outside, she looked up to the sky at the two moons. He looked at her. Then, she looked at him.

"So, the rumor is that you killed my father." She said, without preamble.

He swallowed. "It's true." His eyebrows drew together. "But, to be fair, he tried to kill me first. Four times."

She looked at him and shook her head. "Acostas Kolya didn't _try_ to kill anyone. He either did or he didn't."

John shrugged. "Well, he obviously didn't, but he did get close several times."

She crossed her arms and looked at him.

"He took my friends hostage and tried to have me killed. Then he threatened to leave me buried alive and poisoned. Then he took me hostage and fed me to a Wraith. _Then_ he took my friends hostage again and tried to have me killed, again. I just outdrew him."

She studied him. "So, he's definitely dead."

He was concerned with this, but he answered. "Yes."

"You saw him buried. You can show me his grave."

He frowned. "Uh, no. I mean, I assumed that his men took him and buried him according to the Genii customs."

She frowned back at him. "Then how can you be sure he's dead?"

John looked at her like she was crazy. "I shot him in the _heart_!"

She frowned. "Acostas Kolya didn't _have_ a heart, Colonel. So, unless you saw him buried and can show me the grave or you burned his body, _don't assume_." She poked his chest with each of the last two words.

"You're not well."

Her intensity turned to a smile. "The fruit falls rather close to the roots, I'm afraid."

He glanced back inside. "So, is there a really good reason you couldn't just ask, without the guns drawn?"

She smiled. "Are you feeling" she glanced down at his waist with a slight pause. "naked without your weapon?"

His eyebrows rose again and he took a breath. "I wouldn't say that, exactly."

She pouted. "Well, I hope you understand that I must be cautious. My father had many enemies and my men would expect me to avenge my father's death," he voice lowered. "Even after everything...." She sighed. "Many of them were hired when I was just a child by my father to act as my personal body guards." She moved toward a fence that was next to the building.

John followed. "I take it you and your father didn't get along."

She offered a very small smile. "When I was ten, my mother died. My father hired a group of men to act as my teachers, and guardians. Then he left. He would come to my home once a year, around my birthday, to evaluate my progress and give me an 'inspirational' talk. As I got older, those talks began ending with arguments." She looked up at him and smiled. "When I was eighteen, I fell in love with one of my instructors, a newly hired, young man only a few years older than I. I thought he was the stars," she smiled, dreamily. "I confided in my personal body guard and asked him to cover for me when I snuck out to meet him."

Her look turned dark. "My father found out and had him killed. I dismissed the guard who had betrayed me and refused my father's demands to reinstate him. I rebelled like I never had before."

She examined her hands. "I approached his second-in-command, his best friend. I seduced him and arranged an illicit meeting that my father would 'accidentally' walk in on."

John grimaced. "Ouch."

She lifted her chin. "You must understand that I was in love with the man my father had killed. I wanted to hurt him as he'd hurt me. His second-in-command was like a brother to him. When my father found us together, he had no choice."

John nodded. "Kolya killed him."

She nodded. "I thought it would make me happy, but I felt as much guilt and responsibility for this man's death as I had for the young man I loved. So, I ran away."

John frowned; he looked back to the door. "But your friends…?"

She smiled. "A couple of years later, they found me and told me that my father had put bounties on their heads and one on mine. My bounty would be paid only if I was returned alive. Theirs would be paid dead _or_ alive. They pledged their loyalty to me and we have hidden from him ever since."

"Well, I guess you can stop hiding, now."

She shook her head. "Not until I see his dead body."

He frowned and moved closer to her. "Look. I'm sorry about everything you've been through, but I can assure you he's dead."

She looked up at him and touched his vest. "I hope you're right," she said, softly. "because if you're not, he will come after you again. It has been many years since I ran away and, still, he hunts." She held his gaze intently. "I apologize for the weapons. I live a life that is completely dependent on caution. I do not take chances."

He shrugged with his face and a corner of his mouth tilted up. "I understand."

She continued, holding his gaze. "I would rather count you as a friend rather than an enemy."

He smiled, slightly. "I like friends."

Abrina smiled back. "Me, too." She stepped back. "Shall we get back before your Satedan kills one of my men?"

As they started walking back, John chuckled. "If he hasn't already."

Soft laughter accompanied her next statement. "If he has, I'll wager he's killed them all. Then I will be coming home with you."

"I don't have that kind of luck," he said, lowly, looking her up and down from his position two steps behind her.

Abrina stopped and turned to look at him. Her smile was wide and her eyebrow was up.

John lifted his hands in a surrender motion, with an innocent look.

She laughed and shook her head, continuing to the door of the inn. He reached around her to open the door for her and she put her hand on his hand on the handle. Since he was bent, slightly, to get the door knob, when she turned to look at him, their faces were inches apart.

"Don't trust the Genii," she said, huskily. "As long as there is one person in the government who has _ever_ worked for Cowan or my father, they _will_ betray you."

He looked down at her mouth as she spoke. "But you're Genii," he responded in a whisper.

She looked at his mouth, then back up to his eyes. "Exactly," she smiled and whispered.

He narrowed his eyes again. "H…h…how about we go inside?" He straightened, opening the door.

Her smile widened. "Good idea."

When they walked in, she waved for the men to put the guns away and walked, saucily, over to Ronon, who glared on her. "Mr. Garleen," she called, looking down at Ronon with a smile. "a round of ale for my new friends."

Ronon stood and looked down at her, menacingly.

She smiled widely at him. "If you want, Mr. Dex," she winked. "You get beat the pulp out of me later. Right now, I'm thirsty."

Rodney approached John and whispered. "You killed her father and now we're all friends?"

He watched her as he answered. "She's Genii."

Rodney nodded, understanding and grunted. "Hmm. That explains it."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: This takes place sometime in Season Four between the events in "Reunion" and the events in "Missing"._

**Some months later**

When John came to, he couldn't see. Something was covering his eyes and binding his hands behind his back. He heard voices whispering low, but couldn't make out what they were saying or who the voices belonged to. He had a flashback to the time he was caught by Acastus Kolya and fed on by the Wraith. It sent a shiver through him.

"Ah, so the sleeping one has awaken!" A cheerful male voice announced from across the room.

He heard footsteps approach and two pairs of hands grabbed his upper arms and hauled him up. The cloth that was obstructing his vision was pulled off his head – it turned out to be a cloth bag of dark material.

He blinked against the light and squinted to focus on the men around him. He was face to face with a tall, wiry, white-haired man, who smiled cheerfully. "Why, now, aren't you a pretty one?"

John's eyes widened for a second and then narrowed. "Thanks?"

The man laughed. It was not a nice laugh, but the kind often heard in movies, when the bad guy was hatching some diabolical plan. "Oh, I can see why she went for you. You seem like a nice enough fellow. I hope we can get along."

John frowned. "Who are you?"

The man's eyebrows rose and he put his hand to his chest. "Me? I am Plero, my good man. And you are the Lantean, Colonel John Sheppard."

John looked around at the other men in the room. A knot developed in the pit of his stomach and he felt anger start to bubble out of it. "You're Genii."

Plero tapped John's cheek. "How very observant of you," he smiled, brightly. Then the smile turned dark. "Or at least we were. Before Acastas Kolya ruined everything." The smile turned bright again. "But you're here to help me fix that. Come!"

Plero turned and two of his men roughly guided John out of the room they were in, down a dark corridor to another door. "Colonel Sheppard, I have a surprise for you," he said, conspiratorially. "It's a present, all wrapped up in this room." The man chuckled as John frowned.

"Look who we found!" Plero called inside as he walked in.

John Sheppard's eyes widened even as his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw set. "Abrina Kolya?"

She sat, tied to a chair in a ten by ten cell. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "John Sheppard?!" Her eyebrows came together and she looked at their captor. "What have you done?! I told you that he had no idea. Are you people completely and hopelessly unable to comprehend the simplest of sentences? _What_ are you thinking?"

Plero smiled wickedly. "You're kidding, right? I have Kolya's daughter, grandchild, the man who made her pregnant without her father's consent _and_ the man he hates more than almost anyone in the galaxy? It's a fantastic turn of events. Kolya won't think twice about showing up now."

John looked at the man he now suspected to be a little less than sane and said. "Kolya's dead."

Plero turned and delivered a left hook to John's jaw that sent him staggering and made him see stars. His men dragged John to the only other piece of furniture in the room, another chair, and sat him in it.

Abrina yelled. "_You_ are an _imbecile_! He wants me dead and he wants Sheppard dead, why would he do anything at all to help either one of us, let alone both of us?"

Plero just laughed and winked as his man finished tying John to the other chair. "I'll just let you two get reacquainted. Sorry, it could not be in a more romantic setting." He laughed again and left.

John looked askance from the door to Abrina and, frowning, licked his lips before starting. He took a deep breath. "Abrina? What's going on here?"

She looked down at her feet and stomped the floor.

John didn't understand the words coming from her mouth, but he understood the sentiment behind it. He still didn't understand what was going on, but he realized that it wasn't good. "Abrina," he said. When she didn't stop, he raised his voice. "Abrina!"

She looked up. Her face was red and her dark hair was in her eyes. "Well, this plan backfired." She blew the hair out of her eyes and flipped her hair back. She was as pretty as he remembered her being from that time a couple of months ago at the Garleen's inn, but instead of looking cute and flirtatious, her eyes were flashing in anger.

He took a deep breath and ground out. "What is going on here?"

"They didn't tell you anything?"

John shook his head, which made him wince, still feeling his jaw. "No. We were meeting with a trade ally when the village came under attack. I must have gotten stunned because the next thing I knew, I was tied up and being walked in here."

Abrina sighed. "By the Ancestors, are these people idiots!"

He tried to smile, but couldn't manage it. "Abrina! What. Is. Going _ON HERE?!_"

Her eyes widened and she grimaced. "These idiots ambushed my men and captured me thinking they could get to my father."

"I told you that he was dead!"

She rolled her eyes. "I am so sorry" she started what sounded like an apology, but her tone change back quickly. "That I wasn't able to let them know that _before_ they captured me! Did I mention we were _ambushed?!_"

He took a deep breath and released. "I'm sorry. Please continue."

"Well, when we got here, I told them that Acastas Kolya was killed on a backwater planet somewhere. They didn't believe me. I told them that it didn't matter that they captured me because there was no way my father was going to anything to help me, even if he was alive. He wants me dead. They didn't believe me and as that _idiot Plero_" she yelled this part for the hall to hear. "was about to hit me, I blurted out that I was pregnant."

John's eyes widened and he looked her over. "You're pregnant?"

She didn't look at him. "According to Genii law, if you hit a woman who is pregnant, it is an automatic death sentence and any member of her family can carry out the sentence. Plero stopped himself and demanded to know the name of the father since I'm not married. He figured he could get Kolya to get out in the open by exposing the father of my child."

John frowned and narrowed his eyes. "This guy, this Plero said that he had you, your child, me and the father of your child…" he looked around the room. "Isn't there someone missing?"

She winced.

His eyes widened. "_WHAT?!"_

She kicked out with her foot and just missed his knee. "Will you stop yelling?!" She said through gritted teeth. "What was I supposed to do? If I gave him the name of anyone Genii and you were wrong about my father, my father would put a bounty out on the man. You _claim_ he's tried to kill you three times and hasn't succeeded. So you seemed like the logical choice. _And_ you can tell them first-hand about Acastas' death."

John looked incredulously at her. "Why didn't you tell them the name of the _real_ father?" he asked in hushed tones.

She leaned forward, her green eyes glaring at him intensely. Her next words were slow and deliberate, as though trying to make him comprehend something she'd already explained. "He was going to _beat me_ to get the location of a man I haven't seen in 15 years!"

John's eyes widened and he leaned in, looking behind him, toward the door, before he spoke to her. "So you're saying that you're not really pregnant."

She glanced to the door and then back at him and shook her head.

"So you got me involved, why?" He shook his head. "I mean, why me?"

She gave John a look that was the best version of a "well, duh!" look he'd had an alien woman give him. "According to you, Acastas Kolya tried to kill you three times and couldn't --"

"Actually it was four times."

She blinked. "You said three."

John raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure it was four."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine. Four. Does it _really_ matter?" She took a deep breath. "In addition to that, according to my sources, Cowan tried to kill you twice and Ladon Radim even tried once. That's six – I'm sorry, _seven _times the Genii have tried to kill you and failed. _And_ you travel around with a Satedan Wraith Runner. Who'd have thought you'd get caught by _these_ buffoons."

"And," she continued. "if you were wrong about Acastas, I needed to pick someone who would be believable to my father. He'd never believe I'd go for McKay, and Acastas wouldn't believe the Satedan would go for _me_, so…"

John rolled his eyes. "From what I remember of our first meeting, the only reason Ronon wouldn't is because you're Genii." He shook his head. "So, I still don't get why you thought it would be a good idea to drag _me_ into it."

She kicked out at him again, this time connecting with his knee, but not enough to do more than graze it. "I never thought Plero would go after you. You're not Genii. You're Lantean, for crying out loud! It just goes to show that this guy really _is_ an idiot."

John moved his legs out of his reach. "First of all, stop trying to kick me. Second, stop calling the crazy, bad guy an idiot loud enough for him to hear you. Third, we need to figure out how to get out of here."

She dropped her head. Her ebony hair fell in waves around her face and she sat like that for a few minutes.

John began to feel uncomfortable. "You're not," he winced and lowered his voice. "You're not _crying_ are you?"

Her head flew up and she looked at him. "No." She pronounced the word, crisply. "I am trying to get my temper under control." She sighed. "I owe you so many apologies; I don't even know where to start."

John's eyebrows rose. "Oh. Well." He shrugged with his mouth. "We'll deal with that later." He looked back at the door. "How do we get out of here?" he asked, more to himself than to her. He began to assess the room. "Can you pick up your chair?"

She frowned. "What?"

"Put your feet on the ground and try to pick up your chair and move it toward me. I'll do the same so that our backs are to each other and we can untie each other's hands."

Understanding crossed her face and she nodded. At the same time, they put their feet on the ground and lifted their chairs slightly off the ground and took small steps until they were next to each other with their backs to each other. Then John hopped his chair twice to get close enough to her, wincing at the sound. He reached out with his fingers.

She jumped. "Hey! Watch it!"

"Sorry." He gritted. "It's not like I can see what I'm doing here."

She pushed his fingers away and traced his hand down to his wrist. Then she started pulling at the knots. "Got one," she said, lowly,

"Stop!" he said, when he saw someone's face at the door.

"What?"

The door opened and Plero entered. He smiled. "I see that I can't leave you two alone together." He grinned, widely. "At least, not like this."

One of his men pulled their chairs apart and Plero stood in front of John. "So, do you know where Acastas Kolya is?"

John looked up. "He's dead."

Plero backhanded John and Abrina yelped. He grinned and hit John again.

"Stop it!" She demanded.

Plero smiled. "Isn't that sweet?"

"Hitting me doesn't make him any less dead," John ground out.

Plero hit him again.

"_Stop!"_ Abrina glared at him. "Leave him alone! He's telling the truth!"

"How am I to know that?" Plero moved over to her.

She looked up at him defiantly. Without pausing or faltering, she said. "It happened soon after we met. My father found us together and he" she looked at John. "killed Acastas before he could be killed."

Plero looked at John. "Is this true?"

John looked over at Abrina, who wouldn't look at him. "It's more like, he was about to shoot me, so I shot him first. But only _after_ he ordered his men to shoot me." He spoke truthfully.

Abrina looked smugly up at Plero. "So, you can let us go because Acastas Kolya is not coming."

He frowned. "No. I don't believe you. I'm sending out messengers. They will relay that you and your mate are here. Kolya will come." He turned to one of his men. "Take them to the other room and tie them so that they cannot escape."


	3. Chapter 3

Ronon was pacing and growling in the main conference room in Atlantis' central tower. "They were Genii."

Samantha Carter looked across the table at him. "Why would the Genii take Colonel Sheppard?"

Rodney frowned. "You don't think it could be Kolya, again?"

"Kolya's dead," Ronon growled.

"It wouldn't be the first time he's come back from the dead," Rodney commented.

"But we saw him fall," Teyla responded.

"Yes, yes, but the Genii wouldn't let Carson examine him. Who knows? Maybe they have something like Kevlar. He might have been knocked out and revived when his men took him through the gate," Rodney explained.

Sam held up her hands. "How do we know they were Genii?"

Teyla sighed. "They wore Genii uniforms."

Sam sighed. "I'll contact Ladon Radim. I hope it wasn't his men, but maybe he will know who it was."

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"Well, this is just great."

"Stop complaining," Abrina gritted. "At least your feet are flat on the ground."

Plero's men were very inventive. They bound John to a stake cemented into the ground by the back of his belt. His left hand was then threaded under Abrina's right arm, while his right arm was over her left shoulder. Then his wrists were bound behind her back without actually touching. Her right arm was pulled up over his left shoulder and bound to the stake and her left arm was bound to the stake at his waist under his right arm. Then their legs were bound together at the calf. This left them face to face with Abrina – who, John estimated, was around Teyla's height – on the balls of her feet, unable to put her heels down.

He tried to scoot down the pole a bit, but stopped when he realized that his pants weren't going anywhere.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to get closer to the ground so that your feet can reach."

She shook her head. "It won't do any good. They tied my hand to the pole up by your neck. And you'll end up with cramps if you have to maintain that position for long. This way, at least, I'll be the only one with cramps and they'll be in my feet."

He cleared his throat. "If it helps, you can lean on me." As close as they were, he could smell her scent and feel the heat of her body against his and wondered about his sanity, even as he made the offer.

She shook her head, again. "I don't think I could get closer to you if I tried."

His eyebrows rose and a grin played on his lips.

She blushed. "You know what I meant." She shifted slightly.

John's eyes widened as her movement caused friction in a sensitive area of his anatomy and he gulped. "Could you, ah, not do that again," he requested, lowly.

Abrina looked at him and frowned. "What?"

"I would really appreciate it if you would stay as still as you can."

Abrina sighed, which caused her chest to rise and fall against his. "This is difficult for me, so it would be nice if you would _appreciate_ my position."

He gritted his teeth. "Believe me, I appreciate your _position_." His eyebrows rose.

Frowning, her mouth opened to say something, then her eyes widened as his message sank in and she clamped shut her mouth and blushed again. "I am so sorry."

He took a deep breath and leaned his head back against the post. "Don't worry about it."

She rested her head against his chest. "When my father told me that one day I'd be bound to a man, this is not what I imagined." She looked up at him, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

John thought about this for a second and then looked down at her, askance. After a minute, he couldn't help but chuckle. "That was pretty bad."

Abrina chuckled. "I'm sorry. The thought popped into my head and I couldn't help but say it." Her smile faltered and she repeated again. "I am sorry."

He looked at her as she looked at him. Their faces were actually less than inches apart. He smiled softly at her. "Stop apologizing. I understand why you did what you did."

She shook her head. "Not entirely."

He frowned. "What, there's more?"

Abrina sighed and shifted again and John held his breath to maintain his control. "My men were ambushed, Colonel Sheppard. I don't know if any of them survived to mount a rescue. I thought that if I named you, word would get back to you and you might come and investigate. I truly never thought you'd be captured and I'm truly sorry you were, but I did think you were my best chance at getting rescued. No Genii would bother."

John shrugged slightly. "Well, now you have an even better chance. My people don't leave people behind. They'll come and, when they do, we'll take you with us until you can find out the status of your men."

She smiled up at him with a closed-mouth, teasing smile and a raised eyebrow. "So it looks like your luck has changed."

"How so?" he asked, wondering, not for the first time, about her sanity.

She looked at his mouth. "Our first meeting. I told you that if your Satedan friend had killed all my men, I would be going home with you. You said you weren't that lucky."

John smiled. "Maybe it has. I mean if you put aside this whole abducted and tied up thing."

He was finding her green eyes staring at his mouth very distracting. "If you don't stop that, Abrina, I'm going to start to think you want something."

She looked up at his eyes. "What?"

"That's better."

She looked back down at his mouth, then licked her bottom lip. John felt as though she were moving again.

"Abrina," he warned.

She swallowed and looked back up to his eyes. "Sorry," she whispered.

He smiled. "Just put your head down and rest for a minute."

She put her head partly on his chest and partly on the arm that was tied behind his neck.

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Ladon Radim appeared on the screen almost immediately after the gate finished dialing. "Colonel Samantha Carter?"

She nodded back, offering a thin, tight smile that did not extend to her blue eyes. "Mr. Radim."

He frowned. "Please, call me Ladon. I understand that Colonel Sheppard has been abducted again?"

Ronon growled and moved to stand immediately behind Sam, within visual range of the monitor, glaring.

Ladon sighed. "I assure you, Colonel, that the Genii government had absolutely nothing to do with this."

Sam ducked her head. "I appreciate that, Ladon, and I have no evidence to the contrary. I'm asking for your help because the people who _did_ were in Genii uniforms."

Ladon tilted his head and shrugged his eyebrows. "As your people are aware, and I'm sure they have shared with you, there many Genii factions in exile right now. Cowan's personal guard and Kolya's loyalists are the two most likely factions that come to mind."

"And you're telling us that you have no intelligence on their possible locations," Rodney's words dripped acid.

Ladon looked at Rodney. "I am. However, I have already sent out feelers for any information." He looked back to Sam. "You have to understand that you have made enemies that have nothing to do with the Genii and the Genii have enemies that have nothing to do with you. Would it be completely unbelievable for it to be someone who would like to see us at war with each other?"

Sam nodded. "I will concede that, but I want you to understand," She took a half step closer and lowered her voice. "If I find out that you or any faction of the Genii leadership has had anything to do with the disappearance of Colonel Sheppard, I will bring the full force of my arsenal to bear on the Genii and there will be no place in this galaxy for you to hide."

Ladon stiffened, then he nodded. "I will contact you when I learn something."

When the screen when black, Sam turned back to Rodney, Ronon and Major Evan Lorne. "I want you to find me someone who knows something. Start at the site of the ambush. Go over it again. Take a science team and look for any clues. At the same time, Lorne, I want you and Teyla to go to New Athos and find out if anyone has heard anything from some of their trade partners."


	4. Chapter 4

"Colonel Sheppard?"

He stirred. "Call me John."

She whispered. "John."

After a moment, he looked down toward her. "Yes.

"I need to get my mind on something," Abrina said, weakly. "I can't feel my arm anymore and my feet are killing me."

She'd tried, at first, to keep most of her weight off of him, but after a while she'd given in to the pain and let herself accept his support. His feet were also killing him, but he was able to tighten his arms around her and use the pole at his back to support them both.

Her head was still resting on her shoulder and he dipped his head to speak to her in hushed tones. "So what are we having?"

She chuckled and tapped his back with the hand that was tied at his waist. Then she sobered. "Do you have any children? A mate? Have you always been a soldier?"

"No children. No mate. And, pretty much. Though, I do remember a time, centuries ago, when I was a child and not a soldier."

She smiled, "Centuries ago?"

He sighed. "Hasn't it been a century since we came in here?"

It had been hours. The little bit of light that was in the room when they came in had faded dramatically.

She sighed, "At least."

"What about you?"

"I've never been a soldier."

It was his turn to lightly tap her back.

"Would you ever want children?"

John lifted his head again and focused on a shadow. "I don't know." He paused. "Yeah, I guess, I would like to have one or two, eventually."

"Boys?"

"I think one of each is always nice."

He could hear the smile in her voice. "Would you be a terribly overprotective father? I mean of your daughter?"

"Oh, yes. I have guns. I would make the boys afraid to date her." Then, remembering their first meeting. "Of course, I wouldn't go so far as to actually _kill_ one of her boyfriends. Unless I found out he was mistreating her."

"And your son? How would you be with him?"

John narrowed his eyes. "I think I'd encourage him to be a scientist or a doctor or something not in the military. But if he turned out to be anything like me, I'd have to nail his feet to the ground to keep him from dangerous activities."

"Were you often careless?"

He smiled. "I was always trying out stunts. Building ramps to ride my bike or skateboard over, speeding down a steep slope just to see if I could make the turn in time to avoid the thorny bushes at the bottom, you know."

"And did you? Avoid the bushes?"

"Not always."

She was quiet then. After a few minutes, she took a half of a deep breath and shifted. "Ah, John?"

He tightened his arms around him. "What is it?"

"I need to stretch my feet."

He nodded. "Go ahead."

She lifted her head and put more of her weight on her toes, then balanced on one leg, lifted one foot and flexed it. Then she repeated the process with the other leg.

He winced when he heard her ankle crack. "I'm going to tie this Plero's thumbs to the back of my Puddle Jumper and take him for a ride for a while," he growled.

She looked at his face and smiled, gently. "Can I watch?"

He smiled back at her. "You can ride shotgun."

She frowned, confused. "'Shotgun'?" she asked.

John took a breath. "It's something my people say that means the second seat in the vehicle."

"Ah."

He looked at her and saw that she was look at his mouth again.

"Abrina," he warned.

Her green eyes met his hazel ones. "Hmm?"

"I thought we had an understanding about you looking at me like that."

She frowned. "Like what?" Her eyes flicked down to his mouth and he pursed his lips, then her eyes widened. "Oh." She warmed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." He became aware of her eyes moving, searching his face. He smiled. "What?"

"Does it hurt?"

"What's that?"

"Your face, I mean, where he hit you."

John frowned. "Well, I won't lie to you, it hurt like hell when it happened, but now…not so much."

"You know," she smiled the same smile he remembered from their meeting at Garleen's: the teasing, almost seductive, smile. "My source was right."

He frowned. "Your source?"

"The one that described you to me before I met you. You _are_ very handsome."

He rolled his eyes and set his mouth to the side. "I do alright…" he glanced down and found her looking at his mouth, again. "Ahem."

She warmed under his gaze. "I…" she licked her lower lip. "Your mouth is…" The color deepened in her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

"My mouth is what?" he prodded.

She bit her upper lip at that point. "Hard _not to_ watch." She said, finally.

He smiled. "Really?"

She ducked her head a little.

He tightened his arms around her. "Abrina," he said, hoarsely.

She looked up again and found herself almost nose to nose with him. "John."

At this point, she tried to pull herself closer to him with the arm that was over his shoulder and stopped the kiss before it could begin with a cry of pain.

"Are you okay?"

Pain was etched into her face and her eyes were moist, but she nodded. "I moved my arm."

His eyes full of concern, he grinned, slightly. "Whew! I was worried I'd lost my touch."

She smiled weakly at him. "I'd say your touch is right where it's supposed to be."

"I can think of somewhere else I'd _like _it to be."

She gasped. Her eyes widened and she smiled, despite the pain in her eyes.

"You know, when we get out of this, we're going to have some issues to address," he groaned at the feeling of her movement against his chest.

She giggled. "I was just thinking that we'd have some issues to un-dress."

He groaned. "Stop it. This is the worst form of torture."

She leaned her head against his chest and sighed. "You're telling me."

They fell into a comfortable silence.

As the light dimmed more in the room, John became aware that Abrina was heavier than she'd been the entire time. "Abrina?" When she didn't answer, he moved his shoulder to bump her head a bit. "Abrina, are you okay?"

He used his chin and cheek to move her head and found her eyes closed. "Abrina!"

"Mmm?"

"Stay with me, beautiful. Come on, open your eyes."

She opened them, just a bit. "You really _are_ something, John Sheppard," she rasped. "I'm having a hard time catching my breath."

He smiled at first, then a sudden vision of Spartacus hanging from his wrists on a cross outside the entrance of Rome, caused his eyes to widen. Frowning, he kicked into gear. He scooted down as much as he could, ignoring the pain of his pants being wedge into a part of his anatomy, and used the arm under her arm and all the leverage he could muster to bring her up off her toes. He gritted his teeth as the bindings around their legs grew tighter around his calves. With a grunt, he straightened his legs.

She sucked in her breath as the bindings scraped her calves, but then they were loose. The sudden movement and pain seemed to revive her. She lifted her head and looked at him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, John. Can you hold me like this for a minute more?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," he grunted. It wasn't that she was particularly heavy, but the angle was awkward and his was holding most of her weight with one arm.

She moved her feet slightly to kick off her shoes and felt the ropes slip past her heels and off her feet. "My feet are loose!" she whispered, excitedly.

His eyes widened. "Can you bring your legs up? Put them legs around my waist?"

She nodded and brought her legs up, gripping his hips with her knees. She straightened her back and was able to take pressure off her upper arm. He pulled the arm that had been over her shoulder out slightly and allowed it slide down to her elbow.

"Abrina, this going to be hard," he panted. "But can you pull yourself up with your arm?"

She took a breath. "I'll try."

"Wait." He thought for a moment, then squatted back down. "I have an idea. Can you see your wrist?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Is it a rope? With a knot?"

"Yes."

"Brace your feet on my legs, use them to push yourself up and see if you can reach the knot."

"Reach?"

"Can you undo the knot with your teeth?"

She drew back and looked at him with a questioning look.

He nodded, gritted his teeth and glared at her. "You can do it, Abrina. Just brace your feet on my legs, use them to push yourself up and see if you can reach the rope."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll try."

She lowered her legs again and placed her feet on his thighs. He moved his head to the side as much as he could without putting pressure on her arm trapped under his so as not to her back. She straightened slightly and he used his lower arm to support her backside as she leaned up.

"Yeah, I think I can…I can reach it."

He nodded, trying desperately to ignore her breasts that were dangerously close to his face in this position. "Good. Now see if you can undo the knot."

She leaned over him and began to pull at the knot with her teeth.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam stood next to Chuck at the contol console. "What did you say?"

Ladon smiled. "I said that word is going around that a woman, believed to be Acastas Kolya's daughter, is claiming to be carrying Colonel Sheppard's child. They're being held for the bounty Kolya put up for his daughter 15 years ago with word that Kolya needs to deliver it himself."

Sam looked at Chuck with a look of incredulity. She mouthed "What?!" and Chuck, eyes wide, shrugged and shook his head. Sam straightened and returned her attention to the screen. "Is there a location?"

"No. But I can give you the address of the planet where someone named Rithran can is waiting to for contact."

Sam nodded. "Thank you, Ladon."

He nodded. "I only hope this can help end the suspicion your people have of mine."

Before she could answer that, Chuck said. "We have the address."

Sam nodded. "Thank you, again."

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"Abrina Kolya is claiming to be _pregnant with Sheppard's baby?!_" Rodney exclaimed. "Oh, that's just great! I didn't think they were gone _that_ long."

Sam held up her hand. "Wait. You knew there was a woman claiming to be this Kolya's daughter out there?"

Teyla took a deep breath. "We met her some months ago while on a trade mission. She wanted confirmation that her father was, in fact, dead."

Ronon nodded. "Seemed pretty honest, for a Genii."

Sam nodded. "And she and Colonel Sheppard…?" She frowned and lifted her hands as though to gather in more information.

Teyla spoke. "They were alone for only a few minutes. I am sure that the child cannot be Colonel Sheppard's."

Sam widened her eyes and blinked in a "whew!" gesture. "Okay. So I want you to go to see this Rithran and persuade him to tell us where Sheppard is." Her eyes flickered to Ronon. "Try to talk first."

Ronon grinned in such a way that Sam sincerely doubted there would be many sentences exchanged, but that he _would_ get the information.

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After what seemed like an eternity, Abrina pulled her arm out of the rope and slid, slowly, down his body. She place her feet soundly on the floor, grimacing but working through the pain, and helped him stand straight.

"Knees aren't as young as they used to be."

She smiled at up at him. "It would be difficult for anyone to support weight in that position for that long. You're very strong." She touched his chest. "Hold still." She ducked under his arm and moved behind him. She quickly untied her other wrist, then untied the rope looped around his belt. "It was secured to a nail," she informed him as she moved to his wrists which were tied together. She was able to dig through the knots and release his hands. Then she slipped one arm around him and held him. "Can you walk?"

He could smell her hair as he looked down at her and smiled. "I'll manage. How's your arm? Can _you_ walk?"

She set her jaw. "I'll manage," she repeated. She looked around the room. "How do we get out of here?"

He took a step and felt his knees buckle. She braced against him.

"Maybe walking is not such a good idea, yet."

He leaned back against the pole. "Just give me a second to get the feeling in my knees and feet again."

She stood in front of him and braced her hands on his stomach. Using him as support she slowly raised herself to her toes again, then back to the floor, holding her breath.

"What are you doing?"

She grimaced. "Trying to stretch out my feet. They're cramped and," she gulped. "I don't know if I'll be able to walk far."

John straightened. "I don't know if I like being a balancing bar."

Abrina smiled and stopped flexing her feet. She looked up at him.

"What?" he tilted his head, looking down at her.

"Thank you." She reached up with the hand that hadn't been over his shoulder before and touched his cheek. Then her eyes settled on his mouth.

"I warned you about that," he growled, lowly, and pulled her to him.

"Yes," she sighed in response.

He captured her mouth with his, relishing the freedom to move his hands up and down her body. Her hand moved from his cheek and clutched his shirt while she pressed against him, making his body react to the feelings that he'd been fighting since they were tied to that damned post.

When they pulled away from each other, he cleared his throat. "Maybe we should really try to get out of here," he suggested.

Her eyes were hooded as she took a deep breath and stepped back, nodding. "Can you walk, now?"

He grinned at her. "If you're coming to my place, I'll manage."

She smiled widely and her cheeks pinked. Finally, her eyebrow rose. "If we can get out of here, I will go to 'your place'." She said, softly.

"_When, _not 'if'." He smiled at her. Then he looked at the door. He stepped forward to cross the room toward the door. "Stand behind the door," he instructed and waited for her to get there.

John noticed, not for the first time, how she was guarding that one shoulder. He wanted to get them out before someone finally came back in to check on them. It had been hours, he was certain of it, and he worried that if they were discovered, they would be bound again the same way; he didn't know if she could physically handle anymore, even as strong as she'd been thus far.

He glanced at her and, first, just pulled on the handle. At her frown of the incredulity, he shrugged. "Had to check." Her response was to set her jaw. He carefully checked around the door and found nothing. He cursed and turned around, assessing the small window. Then he looked at Abrina and back to the window.

"I'm not leaving you," she said, flatly. "I got you into this and I refuse to desert you."

He looked at her. The room was dark enough that he couldn't see her face from where he was. His eyebrows rose and he moved toward her. "Listen, I wasn't thinking of you running off or anything. I thought that, maybe you could fit through, find a way back in and unlock the door from the outside."

By now, he could see her face and frowned. "What is it?"

She frowned and ducked her head. "I don't think I can move my arm,"

He expelled a breath through his nose while pursing his lips. "Really?" When she shook her head, he turned to look at the window again. "It wasn't a good idea anyway."

She touched his stomach, just above his belt buckle. "It was an excellent idea, for a stronger person."

He turned back to her. "Don't start with that," he growled. He took off his belt, then. "We're just going to have to sit and conserve our strength until they come back."

Her eyebrows were up as her eyes focused on his waistband, now without the belt. She looked up at him and brought her eyebrows together, tilting her head. "Not exactly my idea of 'conserving energy', but…" She was suddenly grinning at him.

He frowned, then rolled his eyes. He held up the belt. "This is for your arm." He looped the belt and gingerly put it around her wrist, then reached behind her neck and used the buckle to fasten it in a makeshift sling.

Abrina smiled up at him. "Thank you."

John nodded at her and moved his back against the wall. He slid down the wall behind the door and pulled her hand. She sat next to him and he pulled her into his chest, holding her as she rested her cheek against him. He sat there, listening, as her breathing evened out to the steady rhythm of sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"Ronon, put him _down_!"

"Why?"

Teyla looked at Rodney, who shrugged, seeming unconcerned. She widened her eyes at him and turned back to Ronon, holding Rithran by the collar against wall, eye-level to him, which left the other man's feet dangling inches from the ground.

"Because we're suppose to try to talk to him, first."

Ronon grinned. "He'll talk."

"I…I don't know anything," the man stammered. "All I know is I'm supposed to send word when Kolya shows up."

Ronon got very close. "Send word where?"

"To an address."

Ronon growled and moved closer to him. "_What address_?"

Rithran looked down. "Pocket," he choked out.

Teyla reached forward and into the man's pocket. She pulled out a piece of paper. "Who is at this address?"

"His name is Plero. Kolya got him dishonorably discharged. He's been in exile for years and now that Kolya's in exile, he's been looking for a way to draw him out."

"Oh, wonderful," Rodney commented. "Except that Kolya is dead."

Rithran eyes moved from Ronon to Rodney. "I didn't know. Maybe he doesn't?"

"Put him down, Ronon. We have the address. Let him go." Teyla touched Ronon's back.

Ronon shook the smaller man once for good measure and released him into a heap on the floor.

Rodney moved toward Rithran and said, quietly. "I wouldn't think about warning anyone, if I were you," he frowned. "Uh, I'd really hate for him to have a good reason to come back."

Rithran nodded, his wide eyes watching Ronon and Teyla walking away.

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Light peeked through the window, rousing John from his half-sleep. He grunted and lifted his hand to stroke her upper arm. Finally, he shifted the shoulder her head was resting on and spoke through a dry mouth. "Abrina. Abrina, wake up."

She took a deep breath and tried to snuggle closer to him, but he moved her.

"Up."

She looked up at him and blinked. "What?"

"We have to get moving. Someone's bound to come and check that we're still here."

She sat up and grimaced.

Moving slowly, he was the first to get on his feet. The muscles in his back and legs were screaming, but he managed to hide anything but a grunt from her. He offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet.

She was not as macho as he. Her groaned seemed to come from below the floor. "Oh my stars," she said under her breath.

"Are you okay?"

She borrowed his line. "Bones are not as young as they used to be."

He gave her an understanding, closed-mouthed grin. "How is your arm?"

She looked at it, still secured by his belt; then she looked back at him and tilted her head. "Seems to be still attached."

"How long were you here before they got me?"

"Two days."

"Was there a routine? When they'd come in to feed you? They didn't give us food or water last night, so I expect they'll come this morning."

Abrina shook her head and leaned against the wall. "The first day, I was brought in and interrogated without any food or drink. The second day, Plero and one of his men came in to gloat. Yesterday, they didn't come in until they brought you in."

John moved to stand directly in front of her and looked down with widened eyes and mouth set in anger. "Are you saying that they haven't given you any food or water since you were brought here? Even _after_ you told them you were _pregnant?!_" He turned and looked at the door with great ire.

She smiled up at him. "You're not even going to clear the trees, are you?"

He frowned. "What?"

"When you take off with Plero tied by his thumbs to your Puddle Jumper? You're not going to clear the trees."

He smiled, despite himself. His eyebrows rose. "I may not even clear the ground."

She nodded. She took a deep breath. "Okay, Colonel Sheppard, have you hatched a plan?"

He nodded. "Think they would notice if everything was opposite?"

Confusion etched into her face. "What?"

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Ronon, Teyla, Rodney, Lorne and two teams of Marines made their way through a densely wooded area on the planet they'd been directed to by Rithran. Ronon raised a fist in the sign for stop he'd been taught by Sheppard. Every one froze, silently.

Everyone except Rodney, that is, who whispered, loudly. "What? What is it? Do you see something?"

Ronon and Teyla both turned and glared at him.

"What?"

Suddenly, there was the sound of weapons cocking and Genii hand gun pressed against Ronon's head. The weapon was being held by someone in the tree he was standing next to.

"Do not move, Satedan," a voice said. "Tell your men to lower their weapons. And know that there are many weapons aimed directly at you."

Ronon looked at Teyla and smiled. She narrowed her eyes and he knew she understood. In a flash, he spun and grabbed the wrist of the hand that held the gun, dragging the would-be attacker out of the tree and sending him spinning through the air, to the ground in a different direction than his weapon.

The Marines immediately took aim at the man on the ground and Ronon drew his weapon. "Now you have many weapons aimed directly at you," he smiled, menacingly.

The man looked up at him. "All we want is Mistress Abrina back. We suspected it was your people who ambushed us and abducted her."

Recognizing him as one of Abrina Kolya's men from Garleen's inn, Teyla frowned. "Why would you think that? Did we not leave each other peacefully?"

"We have heard detailed accounts of the actions of Commander Kolya against your Colonel Sheppard. No doubt he would want to exact some form of revenge for his suffering."

Rodney harrumphed. "You'd think."

"Doctor," Lorne frowned a warning.

Teyla knelt near the man. "That is not our way, Commander Kolya is dead. That is the end of it."

"Then, who?" The man asked, defiantly.

"Probably the same people that attacked us and took Sheppard," Rodney commented to Lorne.

"Colonel Sheppard is missing?"

Ronon spent this time looking around and listening. Finally, he looked down at the man and said, "He's alone."

Teyla frowned and looked at the man, curiously.

After a long moment of silence, his head dipped. "It is true. I am the only one of her personal guard still able to search for her. Most were killed. Some will recover, but by that time, it may be too late."

Teyla offered her hand to the man. This caused the Marines, Lorne and Ronon to shift. She ignored their increased tension and nodded to the man.

Glancing at the men around her, he slowly took her hand and took the proffered assistance to stand. He nodded to her and murmured a word of thanks.

Lorne stepped up. "Major Lorne. What is your name?"

"Tothan."

"Tothan." He nodded. "Do you know for sure Abrina Kolya is here?"

He shook his head. "No. I have only the words of a few questionably reliable people and some clues I found after the attack, but there is an old stone building ahead that has had some armed guards around it."

Ronon looked down on the man. "Take us there."

Tothan looked up at him and frowned.

Teyla frowned at Ronon and looked at Tothan intently. "Please. If your friend was captured by the same people who captured our friend, then they may be held together. We can work together."

Tothan examined her. "I have heard that Teyla of Athos is a fair trader and an honest friend."

She smiled and nodded in thanks.

"I will trust you." Tothan looked at Ronon. "Him…" then he looked to the others. "I will trust them since they are with you."

She nodded. "Show us where the building is."

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Plero sat at a table, sipping from a mug, when he heard yelling coming from down the hall. He lifted his head and listened. Then he looked at two of his men in the room with him. "Go check that out."

The men approached the cell where the prisoners were being held and could hear more clearly that the Lantean prisoner was yelling. They looked at each other and one shrugged to the other and they prepared to go in.

A few minutes earlier, John tied Abrina's wrists to the pole in the opposite order from their original arrangement. He looked intently at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She felt some pain in her arm that was extended straight out, but it was more bearable than extending it upward. She nodded, slightly. "How sure are you that this will work?"

He looked up, pursed his lips and then looked at her again. "Fairly sure."

"Then why did you make that face?"

He gave a half smile and looked at her without lifting his head. "It's the only one I have."

She smiled at him, her nervousness evident in her face.

He finished with her hands and ducked down between her and the pole and arranged his arms in the way that he had been tied, wrapping the rope around his wrists and holding the loose ends in his hands.

"So, this is completely dependent on them believing that you're still tied up and not realizing that we are now in reverse," she said softly.

He looked down at her, apologetically. "Can you do it? Are you sure?"

She shrugged her face and echoed him. "Fairly sure."

He smiled, closed mouth, trying to hide his own nerves. "Good girl."

She looked up at him and he nodded. She then went limp in his arms.

That was when he started yelling.

The men walked into the room and found the prisoners.

"She's unconscious! Help her!" John yelled.

The men approached cautiously. "Why?"

John looked at them like they were insane. "When was the last time you gave her food or drink? She _pregnant!_" He reached back into his youth and pulled out curse words he hadn't used in years. After hurling a lengthy string their way, he finished with "_HELP HER!_"

After exchanging looks and shrugs, one of the men moved around the back and began to untie her hands. The other went to grab her back as her hands were released. She slid down John, limply.

When the guy in the back went down to grab her ankles, John remembered that they'd forgotten the rope around their legs. He held his breath and waited.

The bad guy apparently forgot that they were tied at the legs as well, because the two of them lifted her by the shoulders and legs and moved her out onto the floor, not far from John.

As soon as she was on flat on the floor, but before either one could straighten, her eyes opened, her hand shot up and she grabbed the first guy's hair even while both of her feet came straight up into the second guy's chin. This man flew backwards and hit his head on the hard stone floor.

The first guy pried her hand out of her hair and kicked toward her face. She let go and rolled away. As the man turned to follow, he was presented by a free John Sheppard, who delivered a right cross against the man's face, sending him sprawling.

John stood ready; when the man didn't move again, he turned to find the second guy was unconscious as well. His eyebrows rose into his hairline and he looked over to Abrina, who was standing, cradling her arm, but looked no worse for wear. He shook the hand he'd clobbered the guy with as he approached her and noticed her chest rising and falling steadily while she quietly took deep breaths.

"You okay?" He took off his belt again and fashioned into a sling for her arm again.

She nodded. "You?"

He nodded, looking at the men on the floor. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

She paused and looked out the door. "What about Plero?"

He nodded. "Don't worry. I'll get you back to Atlantis and come back here with an army of Marines. We'll get him. Come on."

She nodded.

He took her free hand and started for the door. Then he stopped. "I have to find my gear," he frowned, his eyes narrowing in what seemed like an apology.

She frowned up at him. "But we have no idea where it could be, John."

"I can't get to Atlantis without my radio and IDC."

Her eyebrows knitted together and she swallowed. Then, she nodded. "Let's go, then."

He thought for a moment, standing there looking at her. "We'll gate to the Alpha site and radio from there. Let's just get out of here," he said, finally.

She looked relieved and nodded again.

He glanced out the door and down the hall in both directions. Then he led her to the right, the direction opposite of where the two men had come.

They moved quickly but quietly along the corridor, pausing at doors to peek into the windows, hoping for an exit. They came to a cross corridor. John looked both ways then looked at her.

"Left or right?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, whispering. "I have no idea."

"Okay, so I'm thinking right."

She shrugged, then winced. "Any logical reason?"

"Well, there was light outside our window. We went right out to the room, if we turn right here…"

"Then right at the next turn, we should eventually come to the outside," she nodded. "Unless that was just a courtyard and we're following the corridors around the courtyard."

He frowned at her. "Thanks for being so positive."

"I'm sorry." She smiled.

John examined her face for a brief moment, then nodded. "Come on."

They started down the hallway and then heard someone coming from behind them. They started running. John tested the doors along the way. Finally, they found an open one and they slipped in quietly. He pulled her to his side, opposite of the door and they flattened against the wall. They waited with breath held until the footsteps passed.

"They're not moving very quickly," he said, still looking at the door. "They must not realize we're gone yet."

She squeezed his hand and nodded. "Your luck is holding."

He brought his eyebrows together and slowly turned his head to look at her with narrowed eyes.

She grinned.

"You want to go into that _now_?"

She said "I'm sorry" without looking at all apologetic.

He shook his head and the corner of his mouth quirked up, despite himself. He turned back to the door and placed his hand on the handle to open it.

"Wait!" She whispered.

Then he heard it, too. Several footsteps running back the way they came.

"Damn!"

"Spoke too soon," she whispered.

He gritted his teeth. "Keep it up, Abrina," he warned.

She took a deep breath. "So we continue to the right?"

"Sure, they ran back the other way," John nodded. "Hopefully, they are all back there."

"If luck holds."

He looked down at her, trying hard to look stern, but understanding that it was her nerves that kept her referring to their previous conversations. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to take you over my knee."

Abrina frowned at first, confused, then understanding made her smile, warming under the intensity of his gaze.

As he turned back to the door, she muttered. "Promise?"

He threw a look at her and saw the nervousness return to her face. She swallowed, nodded and they headed out at a run.

When they finally came to a door that led outside, John stopped up short. He motioned that there was someone outside, guarding the door.

Abrina frowned and widened her eyes.

John motioned for her to wait and started to assess their situation.

Finally, she grabbed his arm and motioned for him to follow her. She took a deep breath and smoothed down her clothes. Her posture straightened and she pulled her shoulders back, wincing with the pressure on her injured shoulder. Then she put a seductive, closed-mouthed smile on her face and, with confidence, walked out the door.

The man turned around and Abrina smiled at him. Touching his shoulder, she spoke softly, demurely to him. He spun quickly around and ran, gun first, into John, who grabbed the triple-barreled rifle and pulled him off balance immediately.

While the guard was off balance, John wrested the weapon away from him and hit him in the face with the butt of the rifle. This knocked the man back, into Abrina, who pushed back, unholstering his sidearm at the same time. Finally, John hit him again and sent him sprawling.

Sure that the man wasn't getting back up, John moved toe to toe with Abrina. "What were you thinking?!"

She frowned. "That I could distract him while you snuck up on him. Isn't that what happened?"

Scowling, John took a deep breath. "Abrina…" he released the breath. "Good job. What did you say for him to turn like that?" He began to put the sling back on her arm.

Abrina shrugged. "I told him there was a man behind him with a gun."

John's eyebrows rose to his scalp. He couldn't help but smile and shake his head. "Let's go."

She looked out away from the building. "Which way?"

He looked as well. "The tree line for starters." He offered his hand and she took it and they started for the tree line.

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Lorne returned to where Ronon, Teyla and Rodney were low in the trees. "There are three on the roof and two on the ground on this side. Two more on the ground on the left side." He tapped his earpiece and nodded. "Lieutenant Moore reports two more on the ground on the right side and one on the far side."

"Some of the guards ran inside a few minutes ago." Teyla said.

"I'm wondering if Sheppard is giving them some trouble," Lorne said.

Teyla smiled.

"Ha. You can bet on that," Rodney grumbled.

"Look!" Ronon pointed.

The three guards on the roof were running to the other side of the building. At the same time the guards on the ground started running around the building.

Ronon and Lorne exchanged looks.

"Sheppard," they said at the same time and started working their way around the building within the cover of the woods.


	7. Chapter 7

The first shot hit the ground at Abrina's heels. She yelped a curse and let go of John's hand and began stretching out her run.

John slowed long enough for her to get in front of him and then ran after her as another bullet came whizzing by. "Keep going!" He yelled after her.

After they entered the cover of the trees, dodging bullets all the while, John grabbed her free arm and pulled her behind a dense thicket of trees and brush. He pulled his newly acquired weapon up and prepared to shoot. He looked behind him and Abrina was facing out of the other side with the handgun raised at the ready.

"John!" she called after a moment.

He looked back across the field to see a man lift something to his shoulder. He swore and grabbed her. He pulled her back deeper into the woods, but not fast enough for the blast that hit the trees they had taken for shelter to avoid them completely. The blast propelled them forward and they hit a slope and rolled down.

When they stopped, John was face down on top of Abrina, who was face up.

Her eyes widened and she gulped for air. "What was that?!"

"I'm guessing a rocket launcher of some sort." He cursed as he realized that he no longer had the weapon he'd taken from the guard. He could feel, however, that Abrina still had the handgun as it poked him in the side.

"A what?" Then she froze when she caught sight of movement behind John and pulled the cun from between them. She aimed the handgun under his arm, firing at the soldier who was looking down the slope at him. She cursed. "I think I missed."

Before John could say or do anything more, the sound of many shots in rapid succession filled the woods and she looked at John.

He picked his head up and looked up the slope. "Those are my people," he pronounced. "Are you okay?"

She smiled. "Lost my air for a moment, but I'm better. You?"

"I'm okay. Let's go find my team."

He rolled off of her and began to stand, when he heard Lorne's voice yell. "_Stay down!"_

John returned to his stomach, this time and began to low crawl. When he looked back, Abrina was struggling to do the same with her injured arm. Finally, he stopped and reached for her, pulled her up to him and used his body to shield hers while the firefight continued around them.

"John, get off me."

It was his turn. "So my luck has finally turned?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it and frowned at him, even as she pinked. "No. It hasn't," she pronounced. "But _my_ luck would if you got shot trying to protect me. Get off. Let's find cover. I can do it."

He saw the conviction in her eyes and lifted his head to look around. Finally, he saw a fallen tree ahead of them. "Can you make it over there?"

When she looked over, the tree blew up. She gasped and jumped. When she looked at him, his eyes were wide also.

He brought his eyebrows together and swallowed, looking down at her. "Not so much."

She shook her head and breathed. "No, not so much."

Something exploded near them again and she grabbed his shirt front with her injured hand and seemed to want to pull him closer with the hand still holding the weapon. He looked at her face. It was smudged with dirt and there were sticks and leaves and dirt in her hair. Her eyebrows were furrowed together and she winced with each volley, but didn't cower. She kept looking over his shoulder.

Suddenly, it stopped. The woods fell silent. She shifted to point the weapon outward.

"Careful, Abrina," John whispered. "Don't shoot one of my people."

She frowned. "At this angle, I'll be lucky to shoot in their direction, never mind actually hitting them." She cocked the weapon, then.

"Whoa!" Lorne's voice called out. "Put the gun down, lady, we're here to help."

Her eyes flicked to John. He smiled. "He's one of mine."

Rodney appeared and looked down the slope to see John get off Abrina. "Oh, give me a break," he muttered.

Teyla joined him, frowning, "What is it?" When she looked down, her smile said "I understand."

Ronon emerged from the trees from the other side, walking over to John and frowned up at Lorne, Teyla and Rodney. "What's going on?"

John helped Abrina up. "Are you okay?"

She handed him the handgun and took a deep breath. "I will be."

John took her hand to help her up the slope and turned to the rest. "Good work, guys. What took you so long?"

Rodney rolled his eyes, while Teyla and Ronon exchanged grins.


	8. Chapter 8

Samantha Carter walked into the infirmary, where John and Abrina sat on neighboring gurneys. They were smiling at some joke as Abrina was being fitted with a sling.

"How are the patients, Doctor Keller?"

Keller looked up from positioning Abrina's arm and smiled. "Aside from some cuts and bruises, a touch of dehydration and Ms. Kolya's partially dislocated shoulder, they're in good shape. I'd like Ms. Kolya to stay in the city for a couple days so that I can make sure the shoulder's healing well."

Abrina smiled. "Doctor, I should be fine. I feel almost no pain now."

Keller smiled. "That's not uncommon, but I'd still like to check up on you in a couple days."

Abrina nodded. "I will inform Tothan."

Sam looked at John, who smiled. "I'll keep an eye on her." He said, brightly.

Sam laughed. "I didn't doubt it, John." She looked at Abrina. "You are, of course, welcome to stay, but I would like to speak to you, later, about what happened. According to Tothan and one of Plero's own men, Plero was not among the prisoners or the dead, which means he escaped. I would like to know as much as possible about him and what he may be capable of."

Abrina nodded.

"Colonel," John frowned. "We just got back. We haven't eaten in days and we're covered in dirt…"

Sam smiled. "Of course! Please," she smiled at Abrina. "Take your time, eat something, get cleaned up, rest. We can talk about it tomorrow morning."

Abrina nodded, smiling. "I really appreciate your hospitality, after everything, Colonel." She ducked her head. "If it hadn't been for me, Plero would have never gone after Colonel Sheppard. He could have been killed because of my carelessness." She looked over at John.

John narrowed his eyes at her. "I _told_ you I understand. You had no way of knowing what Plero would do. In fact, one would _think_ that if he was going to contact someone for ransom, he would have contacted me after you told him…" he glanced uncomfortably at Sam, then back at her.

Sam shook her head. "Not if his goal was to get revenge against Acastas Kolya."

Abrina frowned. "Revenge?"

Sam nodded. "Apparently, Commander Kolya caused him to be dishonorably discharged and exiled. According to the source that gave us the address to the planet you were being held on, he became obsessed with getting revenge on Kolya."

Abrina sighed and shook her head.

"That explains why he didn't feed you for three days," John frowned. "He wasn't so much concerned about keeping you alive to trade you for ransom as he was getting Kolya where he could get even."

"And according to Genii law, a father has the right to exact restitution from anyone who takes advantage of his daughter, so my telling him I was pregnant out of self-preservation, gave him extra fodder," Abrina commented.

"And when he found out that that person was me and the history we had, it sweetened the pot that much further," John nodded.

Sam nodded. "He must have thought he had a combination that would be impossible for Kolya to resist."

"And he was so obsessed, he couldn't allow himself to believe Acastas is dead."

John's eyebrow rose. "So you believe now?"

Abrina smiled. "It's not that I didn't want to believe, believe me, I did. And I know that sounds awful. Acastus _was_ my father, after all. And I would really like to have the location of his burial or someone who saw his body burn, but Plero's plan would have worked if Acastus _had been_ able to come. I don't believe he would have passed up the chance to get me, finally, or you."

John frowned, chewing the inside of his lip. "I really wish we'd caught Plero." He said. "I have this feeling that we haven't heard the last of him."

Abrina looked down at her free hand, resting on her lap. "I'm so sorry, John."

He stood and walked over to her. He took the hand she was looking at and glanced uncomfortably in Sam's direction, then, looking at Abrina, he said. "I want you to stop saying that."

She looked up at him and nodded, a small smile touching her mouth.

Sam frowned at them, then looked at Keller, who smiled and found something extremely interesting on the table next to Abrina's bed. "Well, I'm sure Colonel Sheppard can take care of you from here. Right, John?"

He looked up and nodded. "Sure. I'll take care of her."

Sam turned away and muttered. "I bet you will," as she walked out, with a smile.

John frowned after Sam, wondering if he'd heard her say something, then turned back to Keller. "Uh, Doc?"

Keller smiled. "Just try not to move that arm too much. Come by sometime tomorrow unless you have a hard time sleeping."

Abrina nodded and John helped her get down from the gurney.

Once out of the infirmary, Abrina and John walked silently for a few minutes. Finally, John asked. "So, you want to eat, first? Clean up? Sleep?"

She smiled, softly. "I'd really like to clean up." She reached up and touched her hair, then frowned and pulled out a piece of leaf.

John nodded. "Oh, of course." He rubbed his scruffy, stubbly chin and looked chagrinned. "Come to think of it, I should probably clean up, myself."

Abrina looked at him and smiled. "Thank you."

He suddenly looked uncomfortable and gave a small smile. He didn't know why. It was easier to joke with her when he was trying to lighten the mood in a tense situation. He'd enjoyed her flirting and the banter between them, but now that they were alone and safe, he felt awkward.

It suddenly dawned on him why. He stopped walking and looked at her. "Listen, I don't want you to think I'm going to hold you to anything that was said back there. I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything or that I expect anything. Because I don't. Really. Not that I would object, but I don't want you to – " he stopped talking when she stepped over to him and touched his stomach, just above his belt, in that familiar, intimate way she had.

She reached up and touched his cheek. "I may owe you a multitude of apologies and owe you for saving my life, but I would never allow myself to owe a man in _that way._"

He swallowed and nodded, relieved. "Well, that's good."

They walked in silence until he stopped. "Ah, I don't won't this to come across the wrong way, but this isn't exactly a hotel and you don't have any stuff, so I would offer you the use of my shower, but I don't have any of the things women like to use…" his voice trailed off. "How 'bout I ask Teyla?"

Her smile was calming. "I appreciate your hospitality, John. Whatever is convenient."

He felt satisfied that he'd come up with a solution.

After a few minutes, she looked at him with eyebrows raise. "What is a 'shower'?"

John smiled at that moment. "Come on, I'll show you."

Later, she looked around in amazement and smiled. "I thought the Genii were advanced. You have _so many_ conveniences. It really is amazing."

Teyla had graciously offered not only the use of her shower, but a change of clothes and to help her dress and brush her hair so that Abrina could limit the use of her injured arm. As she pulled the brush through Abrina's hair, Teyla smiled. "Yes, the Ancestors were truly blessed."

"Would you be able to go back to bathing in a tub or out of bowl again?"

Teyla smiled. "It would be difficult." She put the brush down. "I have finished."

Abrina turned and looked into the mirror. "I thank you, Teyla. After being raised with only men, it is a happy difference to be sharing clothes with a woman. Your clothes are beautiful."

Teyla looked her over. "I may have to make that outfit a gift to you. It looks better on you than it has ever looked on me."

Abrina laughed. "I doubt that."

Teyla smiled, widely. "We shall see. Come. I told Colonel Sheppard I would take you to the cafeteria when we were done. I am eager to see his face when he sees you."

Abrina pinked. "You are overgenerous, I think."

Teyla raised her eyebrows and set her mouth in a knowing smile. "We'll see."


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm just saying," Rodney groused. "That every time I get captured it's the Wraith…"

"You've said this before, you know," Ronon said.

"And it's worth repeating. Is it too much to ask to be captured by the beautiful woman for once?"

John shook his head. "It wasn't a woman that captured me, Rodney. The woman was captured too."

"Still, there was a beautiful woman involved."

John frowned at him. He opened his mouth to say something and saw Ronon grin.

"Still is involved," the Satedan said, looking past him.

John turned to see what he was looking at. His eyes widened even as Rodney whistled. He shot Rodney a "just stop" look and turned back to the vision.

Abrina was wearing a black top that was shoulder less and tied up the front and a long, flowing skirt that sat on her hips and had slits up either side to allow her long legs to peek through each time she took a step. This left her flat stomach as bare as her shoulders and emphasized her fantastic curves. Her hair was left down; a black cascade of waves that was swept over her injured shoulder and almost hid the sling that held her arm in place. Her feet were encased in the black slip-on shoes that she'd worn during their captivity, but they'd been cleaned were gleaming. She was smiling brightly at Teyla as they talked and walked toward them.

"Hello," Teyla smiled at her team as they arrived at the table.

John stood and smiled at Abrina, who warmed under the intensity of his gaze. "I see that Teyla took good care of you."

She smiled at the Athosian woman and nodded. "We're like sisters, now."

Teyla smiled back at her. "It was my pleasure to help. I told her that she looks better in my clothes than I do. Don't you agree, John?"

The man in John recognized this as a tricky question and said "You're beautiful" to Abrina, without directly responding to Teyla's question.

Teyla moved around the table and sat next to Rodney, who'd recovered from the shock.

Rodney crossed his arms across his chest and got a smug look on his face. "So, when is the baby due?"

John shot him a look that could freeze a blazing fire.

Abrina tilted her head with a smile and looked at the scientist. Then, using the catlike movements that they'd seen at their first meeting, she braced one hand on the table and leaned across it. "Why, Doctor McKay, are you making an offer?" She asked lowly, with her eyebrows up.

The pose had a similar effect on Rodney. His jaw went slack and his arms uncrossed. "What? I, uh, that is, no," he stammered, after forcing his eyes upwards to her face. "I was..." He swallowed hard and looked at Ronon, who smiled at his discomfort, but offered no assistance.

John stepped in at that moment. "I'll bet you're hungry. Why don't we go get you something to eat?"

Straightening, Abrina smiled up at him. "That would be wonderful."

After Abrina thanked Teyla again, they walked to the buffet table.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, softly, as John retrieved a tray and loaded it up.

His eyebrows rose. "Me? I'm good. Back's still a little sore, but no worse the wear. I'll just work out with Ronon and he'll make the rest of me feel the same way and I'll be back to normal."

She smiled, widely. "I know what you mean." The smile faltered. "Garin, my teacher, would have done the same." She looked down. "I wish you could have met him. He was one of my men who didn't make it."

John nodded. "I'm sorry. I understand about half of your men didn't."

She swallowed. "But the other half did and that is more than I thought, so I should rejoice in that." She looked up at John. "And in the news that none of your men were lost as well."

John nodded again. "There is that." He looked back at the table his friends still sat at. "Say, why don't we get out of here? We can take the food somewhere else, if you want to."

Abrina smiled. "Sure. Your place?"

His eyebrows rose to his scalp and his mouth went slack. After the shortest moment, he grinned. "My luck keeps getting better."

She tossed her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I merely thought it would be a quiet place to eat." Her gaze was intent as she said, lowly. "I am starving."

Together they left the mess and made their way to his room. Once there, he put the tray down and turned to offer her the sandwich.

Abrina was watching him, intently. "I wanted to thank you, again. You have been kind and hospitable beyond compare, especially after what I put you through."

He shook his head. "Stop," he frowned. "I didn't do anymore for you than I would have done for anyone else in trouble. The circumstances were just a bit different…" Then he noticed she was watching his mouth as he spoke again. "Abrina, I'm starting to think you know exactly what you're doing when you do that."

She smiled, softly. "Honestly, I didn't, until you pointed it out."

He took a step toward her, trying to sound threatening. "If you don't stop that…"

"Show me," she breathed, defiantly, closing the distance between them. "Let's see just how lucky you are."

_FIN_

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_A/N: I would like to thank TheNaggingCube for the rabid plot bunnies. When I wrote the first chapter, I intended it to be complete. I had no designs for anymore. After receiving multiple requests for more (thanks Jameke and others) and some plot ideas from TheNaggingCube, Abrina and John started chattering in the back of my head. I would also like to thank Gritss and TheOne for acting as my models when I was having trouble "seeing" a situation. I've been rather obsessed with this one._

_MA_


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